Divisi
When to plant Mandarin in South West Ethiopia
Ethiopia
The mandarin (also called tangerine or naartjie) is the hardiest and easiest-to-peel of the citrus trees — a small, spreading evergreen that lives and bears fruit for decades.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 10 Feb 2026 – 17 Nov 2026 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 17.5 t/ha | about 30.0 t/ha |
| Work it takes | 91–203 days per hectare, by hand | |
Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.
If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 11 Apr 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for South West Ethiopia is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 17 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in South West Ethiopia
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For mandarin in South West Ethiopia, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. You cannot flatten it, but you can farm it: plant along the contour rather than up and down, ridge or tie ridges to hold water on the slope, and expect shallower rooting than the crop would manage on flat ground.
The 2026 season in South West Ethiopia
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,548 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 1,190 mm in the driest of 6 districts to about 1,548 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,548 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.2 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can. |
| What that supports | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 47% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 314 growing days · about 1,320 mm · February to January |
|---|---|
| 30% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 321 growing days · about 1,600 mm · February to December |
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 296 growing days · about 1,190 mm · March to December |
| 5% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 312 growing days · about 1,470 mm · February to December |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 6 areas within it
What mandarin needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained loam or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 550 cm between rows, 550 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, zinc and boron |
What it takes to grow mandarin in South West Ethiopia
| Planting material | About 340 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 35 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 7 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 44 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
| Hand work | 91–203 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a mandarin crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.
What to watch for
Grow Mandarin with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes South West Ethiopia as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.
Mandarin in nearby districts
This calendar moves
Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.
Frequently asked questions
Will mandarin grow well in South West Ethiopia?
South West Ethiopia rates as favourable for mandarin.
When should I plant mandarin in South West Ethiopia?
Typically 10 Feb 2026 to 17 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across South West Ethiopia, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
